Dogs on Film: 25 Most Famous & Beloved Movie Pups From Asta to Uggie

A movie can have a big effect on you. During the film you may become enchanted, entranced and become emotionally invested in the characters on the screen. And when the characters happen to be adorable dogs from jack russell terriers to St. Bernards, it’s even easier to become attached.

As W.C. Fields once famously said, “never work with animals or children.” And for good reason, as they are scene -stealers.We’ve compiled a collection of 25 of the most famous, beloved, and notorious movie dog characters from The Thin Man‘s Asta to The Artist’s Uggie, with much cuteness in between.

Check them out here and tell us: who is your favorite?

Asta 1 of 25

Adorable Asta was the beloved dog of Nick and Nora of the Thin Man series of films from the 1930s. Wire-haired terrier Skippy shared the spotlight with co-stars William Powell and Myrna Loy. Skippy also had a role in the Katherine Hepburn classic Bringing Up Baby. You can read more about Skippy aka Asta right here.

Beethoven 2 of 25

The St. Bernard character named Beethoven made his debut in the John Hughes=penned family comedy aptly named Beethoven back in 1992. There were then six sequels starring a variety of different large, lovable St. Bernards. You can read more about Beethoven right here.

Skip 3 of 25

The 1990 film My Dog Skip is - well - about a dog named Skip and his owner Willie Morris, played by Frankie Muniz. The jack russell terrier starring in the film is really named Enzo, and has a very special pedigree - his dad is Moose, the dog that starred on the TV show Frasier.

"Skip never failed us. I wish I worked with actors who were as well prepared as Skip," said the director of the film. "There was not a trick or a piece of business we asked the dog to do that he wasn't able to do; it was uncanny. The trainers were so good, they could stop him on a mark, he could lift his leg, he could do a somersault. I expected to see him reading the New York Times any day."
Source: IMDB

Lassie has got to be one of the most famous dog characters ever. The fictional collie was in movies, on the radio, on TV, and in books. The first and most famous Lassie portrayer was a collie named Pal who took on the Lassie role from
1943 and 1951. After he retired, eight generations of Pal's descendants played the role. Source: Lassie.com

Pete the Pup 6 of 25

Pete the Pup is probably the world's most famous pit bull. The original Pete the Pup that starred in the Our Gang Little Rascals comedies was an American pit bull terrier named Pal the Wonder Dog. He was born with a natural ring that went almost completely around his eye (they used dye to finish off the circle). Sadly, the origin Pete the Pup died from being poisoned and his offspring, Lucenay's Peter, took on his Little Rascals role. Source: Wikipedia

Rin Tin Tin 7 of 25

Our kids may not know who Rin Tin Tin is but our parents sure do! Once upon a time Rin Tin Tin was everywhere in movies, TV, on the radio, and branded on merchandise all over the place. Rin Tin Tin was based on a German shepherd rescued from a WWII battlefield. His story went on and on with 23 Rin Tin Tin films produced over the following years. Source: RinTinTin.com

Cujo 8 of 25

The creepiest dog to grace the screen comes from the mind of (and book) of Stephen King. It's a lesson to always get your dog vaccinated against rabies, since Cujo is based on a totally rabid St. Bernard. Source: Wikipedia

Toto 9 of 25

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't know of Toto, the adorable dog that starred In the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. Toto was played by a female cairn terrier whose real name was Terry. Get this: Terry was paid more than many of the human actors in the film! She must have had a great agent. And she even has an autobiography called I, Toto. Source: Wikipedia

Uggie 10 of 25

Uggie is the 10-year-old jack russell who charmed countless viewers in the recent Oscar-winning film The Artist . Apparently, during the filming of the movie Uggie was struggling with a neurological disorder. After the 2012 Academy Awards, he retired. Source: The Guardian

Fang 11 of 25

Now, this is one big dog. In the Harry Potter books, Hagrid's dog Fang was originally a boarhound (which is an old term for a great dane), but in the film he is played by a Neapolitan mastiff.

Tom Hanks shared the screen with a Beasley the Dog, a Dogue de Bordeaux (a French Mastiff), in the 1989 comedy Turner and Hooch. br> Source: IMDB

Marley 13 of 25

Tear-jerker Marley & Me is all about the dog. In the film, the yellow Lab Marley was played by 22 different dogs! Source: New York Times

Benji 14 of 25

Kids of the 70s will totally remember this one - Benji! The first Benji movie came out in 1974 and during the Benji movie reign, four different mixed-breed dogs played the lovable character. The last Benji movie was released in 2004. Source: Benji.com

Einstein 15 of 25

Any Back to the Future fan has a soft spot in their heart for Doc's sheepdog Einstein. You can read more about Einstein and his role in the films right here.

Snowy 16 of 25

After seeing Adventures of Tintin my daughter decided that we need to get a dog just like Snowy, but sadly, Snowy does not really exist. If he did, he would be a wire fox terrier.

Shiloh 17 of 25

Before Angelina Jolie named her daughter Shiloh, this beagle was the one famous for having the name. The 1996 film tells the tale of an abused pup running away from home. There were also two sequels.

Otis 18 of 25

The Japanese live action film Milo & Otis about a pug named Otis and a cat named Milo was originally released in 1986, and then reworked for English audiences in 1989. You can read more about Milo & Otis right here.

Old Yeller 19 of 25

This 1957 film was once a big deal (and a tear-jerker), and baby boomers have much nostalgia for the film. The film is about a young boy's relationship with a black mouth cur.

Chiffon 20 of 25

Chiffon aka the Shaggy Dog, was a Bratislavian sheepdog who starred in the 1959 Walt Disney blockbuster. This was by The Shaggy D.A.

Baxter 21 of 25

"Beware of the dog who thinks," was the tagline for this French horror movie about an evil bull terrier. Source: IMDB

Buddy 22 of 25

Who doesn't love a film about a basketball playing golden retriever? The dog who played Buddy in this 1997 feel-good film was named Buddy in real life too!

Bailey 23 of 25

Baily of Bailey's Billion$ is one lucky dog, having inherited the estate of his owner. The 2005 film starred a golden retriever who was voiced by Jon Lovitz. Source: Movie Star Pets

Eddie 24 of 25

Okay, he may not have been a movie star, but he is as iconic as one. The character of Eddie Crane on the TV show Frasier was played by a jack russell terrier named Moose. You can read more about Moose right here.

Chance and Shadow 25 of 25

Chance (a American bulldog), Shadow (a golden retriever) and a cat named Sassy go on quite the adventure in 1993's Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. It made about $41 million so of course, there was a sequel! You can read more about their journey right here.

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